The present invention relates to a headset of the type known from WO 95/20303. This headset has at least one earphone, a microphone and a headband and enables the user to communicate over a certain distance, leaving both hands free for other tasks. Examples of areas in which headsets are used are telephony, linguistic communication with computers equipped for speech recognition, machine control, radio communication by pilots and divers, the military sector or simultaneous interpreting. Normally, these headsets have only one earphone so that the user can hear surrounding noises with the other ear. Most headsets are connected to a base station by a cable, which restricts the freedom of movement of the wearer (cf. DE 4019529 AJ or U.S. Pat. No. 3,869,584). In order to ensure that the headset is securely held in place when the wearer moves, most headsets have a headband spanning the upper part of the head, with the result that the headset takes up a relatively large amount of space.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,297 discloses a headset without a headband and attached solely to one ear of the wearer. A telescopic arm, provided with a microphone at its free end, is fixed directly to the earphone. Even if this headset is very light, a firm hold is only ensured in the event of the wearer making a sudden movement if the fastening clip of the earphone tightly surrounds the wearer's ear, which becomes uncomfortable if worn for a long period. Furthermore, the ear clip would then either have to be adjustable or be made in different sizes, resulting in high production costs. Incidentally, this headset is also connected to a base station by a cable.
CH 681 841 A5 discloses a headset having an earphone attachable to the ear and connected to a throat loop by a cable, the throat loop carrying a throat microphone responding to vibration. In this case too, the earphone and the microphone are connected to a base station by a cable.
A brochure issued by ACS Wireless, Inc., publication no. 63-a, printed in the USA January 1997 under the title "MULTI-TASKING with AUREA", discloses a headset which establishes a radio link with a base station via ten selectable radio channels in the frequency range between 46.61 and 49.99 MHz. A transmitting and receiving unit, an antenna and a battery are therefore arranged in a housing of the headset. Consequently, the headset is relatively bulky and is operated in the frequency range of radio channels, which is undesirable for some users. The aforementioned disadvantages are to be eliminated by the invention.